AutoMod
Seven filters against links, banned words, spam, scams and server advertising.
In the panel under: Moderation, AutoMod
AutoMod reads every message and steps in before a human would have to. There are seven filters that you turn on and off individually, and each one has its own reaction.
The seven filters
| Setting | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Block all links | Deletes every message with a link, regardless of the domain list |
| Block Discord invites | Deletes every message with a discord.gg or discord.com/invite link |
| Blocked Domains | One domain per line, for example example.com. Subdomains are blocked automatically too |
| Allowed domains | These domains always get through, even with "Block all links" |
| Roles allowed to post links | Members with one of these roles only skip the Link Filter |
| Channels where links are allowed | Only the Link Filter stops checking there, threads count as their channel |
| Categories where links are allowed | Applies to every channel in the category, including ones created later |
Blocked Words, one word or phrase per line.
The check ignores upper and lower case and only matches whole words. So arsch doesn't also block Arschbombe, and you don't catch harmless messages that happen to contain the term.
Mention Threshold: messages with more user or role mentions than this value are deleted.
Catches classic ping spam, where someone pings twenty people at once.
| Setting | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Uppercase Threshold (%) | The share of capital letters at which messages get deleted |
| Minimum Length | Messages are only checked from this many characters on |
The minimum length matters: without it, a simple "OK" would count as caps spam.
| Setting | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Message Count | From how many messages it steps in |
| Time Window (seconds) | The period over which messages are counted |
Example: 5 messages in 10 seconds.
Deletes messages that combine a mention of money or crypto, like $400 or solana, with a request to message the sender.
That's exactly the pattern of the scam message "I'm giving away $400 worth of crypto, send me a message".
Deletes messages that combine a call to join, like "join up" or "check out my server", with a reference to a community.
The filter also detects workarounds where someone writes cord instead of discord to trick a plain word filter.
About Discord's own AutoMod
AlphaCloud also creates Link Filter, Word Filter and Mass Mention Spam as rules in Discord's own AutoMod (Server Settings, AutoMod). Discord then blocks the message before anyone even sees it, even while the bot is restarting. The configured action, the notice, the DM and the log still come from AlphaCloud.
- For this the bot needs the Manage Server permission. If it's missing, AlphaCloud keeps filtering on its own as before.
- In the panel, "Runs as a Discord AutoMod rule." appears under the filter as soon as the rule has been created.
- If you delete or disable one of these rules in Discord, AlphaCloud respects that and filters that category itself again. The next time you save in the panel, the rule is created again.
- Discord allows at most 6 word rules per server. If other bots already use them all, AlphaCloud's own filter stays in charge.
The action per filter
Every filter has its own Action. It decides what happens in addition to deleting the message:
| Action | Effect |
|---|---|
| Delete message only | The message disappears, nothing else |
| Delete message + issue a warning | The warning goes into the member's history |
| Delete message + timeout the member | Timeout for the set duration |
| Delete message + kick the member | |
| Delete message + ban the member |
The Timeout Duration (minutes) applies to all filters whose action is set to timeout.
Exemptions
| Setting | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Exempt Roles | Members with one of these roles bypass all filters |
| Exempt Channels | Nothing is ever filtered in these channels |
| Exempt Categories | No channel under these categories is filtered |
The category exemption is the most practical one: it automatically applies to channels you create in it later too. Typical use: exempt a category for your team entirely.
Content rules per channel
For channels with a fixed purpose, such as a channel only for images or only for bot commands. For each channel you choose which content is allowed, several if you like. A message stays if it contains at least one of them. AutoMod deletes everything else with a short notice.
| Content | When a message fits |
|---|---|
| Links | It contains a link |
| Bot commands | It starts with one of the set prefixes, for example !rank. The defaults are !, ?, . and $, up to 5 prefixes |
| Embeds | It has an embed, such as a link preview or a GIF |
| Media and files | Images, videos, files or stickers |
- Threads and forum posts are always free, even if a bot created them.
- With Allow replies, replies to messages in the channel may also be plain text.
- Bots, members with "Manage Messages" and the exemptions above are not affected.
- There is no punishment and no DM, only deletion, notice and log.
- Free servers can set up 5 channels, with Premium it's 25.
The two messages
AutoMod sends two different messages, and you design both in the Message Builder:
Notice in the channel Public, appears in the channel after the deletion and disappears again after a few seconds. The bot puts the person's mention in front of it itself, so they actually see the notice.
DM for an AutoMod warning Private, stays around, contains the locked block with the reason and action. It's only sent if Also Notify via DM is turned on or the action is a warning.
Log Channel
Every triggered filter is logged there, with the member, filter and action. Highly recommended: without it you won't notice when a filter is set too strictly.
Required permissions
Manage Messages (deleting), Timeout Members, Kick Members, Ban Members, Read Message History. Manage Server for the rules in Discord's AutoMod.